Collaboration
BETWEEN 1962 AND 1970, THE U.S. Copyright Office registered 708,321 new songs. Approximately 180, or about .00023%, were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by the Beatles. Acknowledging that diamonds are scattered among the other 708,141, it’s fair to say those 180 had disproportionate cultural significance. While their impact was most intense at the time they were released, the songs have become cherished legacy music as well, making the circumstances of their creation a matter of ongoing intrigue. Toward that end, at least two general notions have become widely accepted. First, Lennon and McCartney began as joint creators and finished as separate entities, with a stretch in the middle where they helped each other out. Second, John was the rocker, writing the tough, edgier stuff (“Run for…
